Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1500-1600
Language: Latin
Origin: Greek parasitos, from para- ( PARA-) + sitos 'grain, food'

parasite

 noun
     
Related topics: Biology, Animals, Plants
par‧a‧site [countable]
1HBAHBP a plant or animal that lives on or in another plant or animal and gets food from it
2 informal a lazy person who does not work but depends on other people - used to show disapproval
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
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